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New Year's Goal - Positivity



I've been playing with grateful and gratitude apps the last month. It is one of my goals in 2020 is to focus more on being positive and I wasn't sure exactly how I wanted to go about it.

This past year has been a little rough in terms of watching the news, budget cuts at work, gaining weight, getting older and I've been focused a little too much on the negative.

At first I thought I might want to just share my grateful thoughts on Facebook but I didn't want to annoy anyone with my posts (you know the ones that start in November and lead up to Thanksgiving Day and we get it...YOU. ARE. THANKFUL not to mention FB posts are super hard to sort).

Anyway I thought of a employing a "happiness jar" but I didn't want my husband to ask me "What is that?" and me having to explain. This is more of a "me" thing than a "him" thing I am not sure he has every been "unhappy" so he wouldn't understand (I am assuming that is a guy thing and leave it at that...or at least a "my guy" thing).


Photo Credit - http://bit.ly/2QcNPAb

I then started thinking about adding notes to my phone's Notes App but I am terrible at keeping those up. I still shop with paper lists (and I have tried to go to digital lists...really...it just annoys me I have to log in after every aisle).

That got me thinking about apps and so I started trying some out. I wanted a free or cheap app that was easy to use and that I could look back on whenever I started feeling a little down. 

A lot of them are initially free but then require "in app purchases". I narrowed it down to two apps - Gratitude Happiness Journal and the Grateful a Gratitude Journal App. 

The Gratitude Happiness Journal app had a lot on its "free" side but to upgrade there is a monthly charge and I am strongly against assuming a monthly charge. I could have lived with the "free" side but if I ultimately wanted to add more pictures, more posts, or export my journal than I would have to upgrade. If you are not interested in those features then the free version is pretty robust. 

The Grateful app was limited on its "free" side (15 journal entries) but to upgrade there was a one time $5 charge (which is easier to take then a monthly charge). It was super simple to use, included the abilities to add more pictures, more posts, and to export. It is also "no frills" (I don't need a daily affirmation the other app offered). I wasn't too excited about how the data backs up. I looked at the back up in my Dropbox and exported as a PDF and the company could certainly improve both but I could live with it. So I ultimately went with that app.

I've been posting once a day (usually with a picture) since December 10th just to get myself into the habit so that I am "official" ready to be more positive in 2020. 



So if you are like me...trying to focus more on the positive in the New Year you might consider testing out some of the available apps before 01/01.


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